


Shattered Reflections

by Shadowslayer1331



Series: Sliders: Another Path [3]
Category: Sliders (TV)
Genre: Family, Friendship, Gen, Revenge, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:48:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27076021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowslayer1331/pseuds/Shadowslayer1331
Summary: The Sliders run across a familiar face in desperate need of help, which lead to the discovery of a new enemy...themselves.
Series: Sliders: Another Path [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2034220
Comments: 5
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

Logan St. Clair shakily held the revolver in her hands, eyes wildly searching the seemingly empty building. Of all the world's to follow these damned Sliders too it had to be a world without people. She truly felt alone with these monsters who stole her from her home. These monsters who…no, she couldn't go there, not now. She had to keep her senses sharp.

Taking in a deep breath she slowly pulled out her timer. 8 minutes 34 seconds until the next slide. Perhaps she could evade them until she reached a more suitable world. Or perhaps now was the best time to kill them. After all in a world without humans, no one would hear the gunshots.

Looking at the crumbling remains of the hotel's hallway she wondered to herself what caused the extinction of humankind on this earth, granted of course all of humanity was in fact dead here. She strained her ears for any kind of sound, turning sharply as she heard footsteps and the sound of a closing door in the stairwell.

Quickly she followed the sound, trying to move silently through the darkness until reaching the door for the ground floor. Opening the door she followed the sound of conversation nearby, spotting two of them in the lobby unaware of her presence. Rembrandt Brown and Wade Welles, she recognized. Slowly she lifted her gun, aiming at the back of the woman she knew Quinn had feelings for.

"I'll make you feel what you made me feel, you bastard" she whispered, finger on the trigger. However, at that exact moment, she felt something cold press against the back of her head. With an internal curse she realized what just happened, they led her into a trap.

"Drop it," Quinn said, voice cold and harsh.

Letting the gun fall from her grip she couldn't help the revulsion at seeing Rembrandt and Wade turn to her with smirks on their faces. Quickly Rembrandt swooped down and took the revolver, aiming it at her.

"Good idea with the distraction, Q-ball," Rembrandt said with a hint of pride, "you and the professor were right. She is an idiot"

"Seriously, how stupid do you have to be to fall for such an obvious ploy?" Wade asked with a pompous air about her.

With a low growl, Logan held her tongue. If she could hold out a few more minutes her timer would save her. It was the only chance she had now.

That was until Quinn snatched it from her back pocket. With a startled breath, she turned to face him, only to see him grinning back at her, waving her timer in her face.

"To think you followed us without perfecting this first. You truly are a fool, St. Clair." Quinn taunted, walking over to a nearby desk and opening the timer. He pulled some small tools from his pocket, beginning to fiddle with some of her timer's inner components.

"I couldn't let you get away with what you did to him, hypocrite" Logan hissed, her voice laced with venom.

She would never forgive them for what they did to her, or to him. Maximillian Arturo was the bright spot of her life. He had been her teacher and her lover. She didn't care about the difference in age, she cherished that man with every fiber of her being. When he had come down with cancer she knew what she had to do. With her company's resources, she would invent a timer and find a world that could cure him.

Together with her Arturo, they had done it. They made a timer with wormhole tracking, however, the timer was incomplete. It could not bring home whatever slid out. She needed to perfect the device before it was too late, before her Arturo fell to his disease.

Then the Sliders came and ruined everything. When she detected their wormhole she naively ran to them alone, believing they would agree to help her solve her problem. Her mistake cost her everything. They pulled out guns and used her as a hostage so they could use her sliding systems. Apparently, they were lost and believed her systems could get them home.

They did not have much time, having to slide before they could find the coordinates of their home. Unfortunately, this angered their Quinn, who planned to vent his frustration by murdering Logan. However, her Arturo stepped in front of her, taking the bullet.

After holding her lover for the last time, watching his eyes close never to open again, she grabbed her incomplete timer and tracked their wormhole. She may lose her home in the process but she didn't care. The four of them would pay for what they did to him.

Breaking out of her thoughts she caught the timer Quinn tossed at her, looking down at it with a hint of worry. 5 minutes 23 seconds counting down.

"What did you do to it?" Logan asked, her voice filled with terror.

"Oh, nothing special," Quinn replied with a smug voice, "corrupted the safety parameters is all"

Her eyes widened at that, shivering as the numbers continued to count down. Could she possibly repair that damage before she had to slide? Not with the three of them watching her so closely.

"What does that do exactly, Q-ball? Doesn't sound pleasant" Rembrandt asked with a chuckle.

"The safety parameters do many things," Quinn replied, grinning, "Such as the densitometry circuit which prevents us from exiting the wormhole inside solid objects like a wall. Another safety parameter prevents us from exiting the wormhole thousands of feet in the air. For all poor Logan knows she may exit the next wormhole above the clouds or in someone's wall"

She began to shiver, watching her previous lifeline as if it were a death sentence. It wasn't like she could avoid the next slide. She would be trapped on this dead and barren world, granted the sliders didn't kill her where she stood.

"That's not all" Arturo said, entering the room from the hall, "it prevents us from landing on a world without an atmosphere, or in the dead of space. Imagine poor St. Clair suffocating on an earth whose atmosphere was destroyed or in the cold vacuum of space in a universe where the earth never formed. Without the safety parameters sliding opens up an infinite number of inhospitable worlds that would kill you the moment you exit the vortex. What are the chances our dear St. Clair will land somewhere safe when she slides?"

As he spoke the professor approached her, running a hand through her hair. She went to step back, halting as Quinn once again pointed his gun at her. She hated his touch, it felt like poison against her skin. How her Arturo could have such a cold and cruel double astounded her.

"Please, don't touch me" Logan whimpered, squeezing her timer as he was about to place his hand on her cheek.

To her surprise he retracted his hand, giving her an unreadable look as he stepped away, honoring her request.

"I must say I can understand my doubles fascination with you, St. Clair. You are a beautiful woman"

She squeezed her eyes shut, tears falling down her cheeks. Hearing those words spoken in his voice, it was too much for her to handle. Especially knowing it came from one so twisted and vile. It was then she heard the familiar sound of her timer reaching zero.

The four friends laughed, watching as Logan was pulled into the vortex. Turning to Quinn, Arturo placed a hand on his shoulder, a gesture meant to show how proud he was of his pupil.

"So, Mr. Mallory, how do you think she died?"


	2. Chapter 2

Slamming the doors of the emergency room open Quinn and Rembrandt, holding up Arturo, rushed inside, Wade hot on their tails. The professor let out a pained grunt, blood leaking from the bullet wounds in his chest. Quinn’s mind was racing a million miles a minute, worry etched across his face as he held the professor. He would not lose him now, not after everything they had gone through.

They had been sliding together for years now, growing tighter and tighter as a small family. Maximilian Artruo became something of a father to Quinn and Wade. Rembrandt grew to love the professor as a brother. The three loved him unconditionally and would do whatever was necessary to ensure they never lost him.

As they approached the counter the clerk looked up at them, then to the ground that was littered with drops of the professor’s blood. She held a look of boredom, sighing as she set down her paperwork and looked up at the sliders. Standing she shook her head, pointing to the door they had just rushed through to get to her.

“Get out of my hospital, you are making a mess” she hissed loudly, catching the four sliders off guard.

Quinn was the first to break out of his stupor, raising his voice as he replied to her. “What are you talking about? Can’t you see this man was shot? He needs a doctor!”

She rolled her eyes in annoyance, putting her hands on her hips as she replied in kind. “I can tell from your raggedy clothes none of you can afford to pay for the hospital bills. You know the rules and I am not risking my job for hooligans. If you cannot pay the costs upfront you leave, end of discussion”

The nurses and even the doctor continued to walk by, focusing on their jobs and ignoring the bleeding man in their arms. Out of the corner of his eyes, Quinn saw a young woman holding the bloodied body of a child, no older than thirteen. She looked up at them for only a moment, before turning her attention back to her child, continuing to sob. The child letting out moans of pain, clinging to his mother's shirt.

Looking back to the clerk Quinn’s eyes were filled with rage, biting it down he spoke in a low voice.

“What’s going on with her?” he asked.

“Her son was playing in the road and got hit by a car. She only works as a waitress, there's no way she can afford the bill. We told her to leave, but like you she refuses to go” the clerk replied in annoyance, shrugging her shoulders. She sat back in her chair, returning to her paperwork and ignoring the sliders.

“Miss?” Wade spoke up, only to see the clerk ignore her and remain focused on the paperwork. Something she quickly concluded must have happened to the woman and her child as well.

Of all the worlds to land on with a wounded family member, they land on the world where only the rich are allowed medical care. Quinn wasn’t going to play that game, not for a second. Pulling a pistol from the back of his pants he pointed it at the clerk, feeling satisfaction at her brief look of terror before he fired, her brains splattering against the walls and floor behind her.

The doctors and nurses froze, screaming in fear as Wade and Rembrandt pulled out their own weapons. Quinn pointed at the doctor, a look of rage written across his face.

“You will save this man's life, or so help me, I will kill every last person in this hospital. You think I'm joking?” he yelled, firing at one of the nurses and hitting her in the shoulder. She screamed as the bullet tore through muscle and bone. She fell against a wall, clutching her shoulder as her co-workers watched her in fear.

“Stop playing around and help him! The child too!” Quinn screamed, pointing back at the woman and her bloodied child, “If either of them die I won’t hesitate to put a bullet through every one of your heads!”

What fucked up world was this that they would turn away not just a dying man but a dying child? It reminded him too much of his home world, the one he built the timer to escape with his family and friends. Many people on his world believed only the strong were meant to survive, forcing him and his mom to live day by day fighting for their survival. The professor, Wade, and Rembrandt shared similar stories. As did many families back on his world.

The countless unnecessary wars left his world depleted of its resources, forcing every family to fight for the food and water they needed to survive. It was first come, first serve. The strong survived and the weak perished. Many were forced to band together, work as a team. Much like his little banded together family.

Getting lost in the multiverse could have been a blessing. It wasn’t like he ever wanted to return to that world of dominance and hatred. But his test run left one thing behind that made him beg to find home. His mother.

Likewise, Wade and Rembrandt’s parents were left on that earth too. Unfortunately the professor lost everyone he cared about, so there was nothing Quinn or the others could do for him besides love and support him.

They needed to find their home earth, sooner rather than later, in hopes of saving the little family they had left there. When St. Clair ran to them in hopes they would help her perfect her timer, they knew what needed to be done. If they wanted to save their families there was no time to play nice. They were only there for a short time. They needed her systems, they needed to find home.

He didn’t have time, forced to open another gateway as St. Clair and her Arturo watched. He still remembered the rage he felt and their relieved faces, happy he and his friends would be leaving their world. Happy he failed in his task. Happy he was forced once again to abandon his mother, who for all he knows may already be dead.

That rage caused him to raise his gun, wanting to end the woman who took joy in his pain. Her Arturo died for her, Quinn jumping into the vortex after firing his gun. He never expected the witch to follow them, especially with her incomplete timer.

Not that it mattered anymore. Three earths ago he managed to corrupt her safety parameters. They would never have to deal with her again. Instead he needed to focus on saving the professor, and the child. While his mother may no longer be waiting for him, he did still have family here and now who needed him, and he needed to protect them, no matter what.


	3. Chapter 3

As Logan exited the vortex she screamed, slamming hard into the side of a building. She barely managed to grab the gargoyle statue in time, hanging for dear life atop the 555 California building. She spotted several other statues of similar design lined across the side. She couldn't recall any world where this building had such gothic architecture, so she knew she wasn't home or on any close variant.

Looking down she felt panic rise in her chest, realizing she was at least 700 feet in the air. Had she slid slightly further away, she would be dead now.

Logan focused on the task at hand, she wasn't safe just yet. She had to pull herself up, and fix the damage Quinn caused on her timer. She got lucky on this slide, all factors being taken into consideration. She began to pull herself up, only to feel dread form in the pit of her stomach as she heard a cracking sound. The gargoyle suddenly fell forward, causing her to lose her grip and begin plummeting to her doom. She screamed, her timer beeping as it reached zero, a vortex opening below, swallowing her.

The only thing she had time to process upon exiting this vortex was her head colliding with something hard, then darkness.

* * *

"Mr. Mallory, this is quite interesting," Arturo said, gesturing to Quinn who walked over, looking over the professor's shoulder as he read from a large book on this world's history. The two were in a hotel room alongside their friends, Rembrandt and Wade, who were watching the television.

"What did you find, professor?" Quinn asked.

"Well, my boy, it would seem on this Earth the Confederate forces won the Civil War in 1863. President Lincoln was forced into exile and the Southern forces annexed Washington, DC, renaming it the District of Dixie. The United States moved its capital to Columbus, Ohio but could no longer afford to buy Alaska from the Russians. Texas declared its independence in 1878 and after fighting together in two world wars, the three nations reunified in 1960"

"So it took an extra century for the nation to unify on this Earth" Quinn replied.

"Hey, better late than never," Rembrandt added, not turning his head from the television. To his left Wade reached over, taking some chips from his snack bowl.

The two were watching a documentary on pop music, Rembrandt sighing in disappointment as it came to an end.

"No mention of The Cryin Man or The Spinning Tops. Either my double wasn't a musician on this world or he never made it far. Man, that sucks," Rembrandt complained, causing Wade to laugh. Rembrandt turned to her, a look of hurt written on his face.

"Girl, do you have any idea how terrible of a world this must be? These poor people are being deprived of the Cryin Man."

This response prompted Arturo and Quinn to join in Wade's laughter. Rembrandt turning to look at them, his frown growing.

"Not you too," he groaned, only making them laugh harder. Quinn stepped forward and placed a hand on Rembrandt's shoulder, taking pity on the singer.

“Rembrandt, our world is lucky to have you,” Quinn said.

“As are we,” Arturo added, causing a smile to replace Rembrandt's previous frown, “and if it’s of any consolation, your double on Azure world became very popular alongside The Spinning Tops. When that world learned a double took his place for a short time, it only made his true return that much more appreciated. Though many fans were more interested in the double who appeared and disappeared without a trace.”

“What about my double?” Wade asked, turning her attention to the professor.

“When she returned and read your diary, she found our adventures to be quite interesting. She explained the situation to her publishers and published her diary as a sequel. When the masses learned the first issue was that of a double, it spiked even higher in popularity than before.”

“And mine?” Quinn inquired.

“When he returned with his friends his mother explained the situation to them. I was in the basement at the time, once more attempting to make some progress with your doubles sliding equipment. When we first met I thought perhaps the three of you returned for me, but I understood when they explained they were native to that world. Your double and I explained that he was in fact the father of interdimensional travel and that my nefarious double tried to steal credit for his work. Your double didn’t really care about the fame or title, but I helped him claim it nonetheless.”

“It’s a good thing you were there, professor. Had your double stayed behind he might have tried to steal Q-balls work again” Rembrandt replied.

“He might not have made it far, considering many thought sliding to be falsehood when I was unable to prove the truth behind it. However, they understood and believed my story when Mr. Mallory’s double opened a vortex and showed them his timer.”

“I’m glad they made it home,” Quinn said, Arturo, standing and placing a hand on his shoulder.

“As will we, Mr. Mallory. All we have to do is find a world that can remove the tracker. Have faith, we made it this far, nothing will stop us from getting home"

"You know, nothing's stopping the three of you from going home now. I could continue alone and-"

"Hogwash, Mr. Mallory," Arturo interrupted, "I've been separated from you once already. Never again!"

"Yeah, we're a family, and families stick together" Wade added, Rembrandt, nodding along to her words.

Quinn felt touched at their words, but before he could respond the four sliders suddenly felt wind rushing toward them, a vortex opening on the opposite end of the room. The very tip of the vortex was passing through the ceiling, Quinn’s eyes widening as he saw this. Suddenly a woman flew from the vortex, her head colliding with the ceiling fan, causing her to flip and fall onto the bed below. Wade and Rembrandt were by her side in an instant, reeling back as they recognized her face.

“It's Logan!” Rembrandt yelled, watching her cautiously. He relaxed a little when he saw she was unconscious, spotting a large patch of blood where her head collided with the now broken fan. Wade was quickly by her side with a wet washcloth, patting at the wound in an attempt to clean it. Arturo knelt beside her, looking at her in wonder.

"This is your female double, Mr. Mallory?" He asked, looking her over curiously.

"That's her, professor. Though something was wrong, the vortex was partially through the ceiling. Had it opened any higher she could have been killed" Quinn replied, causing Rembrandt to turn to him, looking pale.

"You wanna run that by me again, Q-ball?" He asked, Quinn, leaning over her and grabbing the timer. He opened the back, his eyes widening in horror.

"Dear Lord, she's sliding with a death machine. Who did this to her timer? Logan was selfish and cruel, but she wasn't stupid. She would never willingly slide with her timer in this condition" Quinn muttered to himself, Rembrandt stepped closer, grabbing his arm and turning him so that he was facing him.

"Mind filling us in? Like how sliding can kill us? We never slid into walls or ceilings before, what gives?" He asked, his voice laced with panic. Quinn sighed.

"Relax Rembrandt, our timer has built-in safety parameters to prevent dangerous or fatal sliding. It seems someone sabotaged Logan's timer. Professor, look at this"

Arturo took the offered timer, his own eyes widening as he saw the damage done to the inner components.

"Good heavens! She's lucky to have survived the slide at all! The chips and circuits designed for safe travel have been altered or outright destroyed!" He yelled.

"Either way, what are we going to do with her?" Wade asked.

"I say we leave her here" Rembrandt replied, "she did try to kill us in the past"

"Let's not be so hasty, Mr. Brown," Arturo said, looking between his friends, "for all we know she may be a double. Could you leave her to die without even knowing if she is the Logan you came across before?"

"Well, no," Rembrandt admitted.

"Then I say we help her, at least until we learn who she really is and how her timer came to be in such terrible condition"

* * *

She opened her eyes, her head pounding as she slowly sat up. Reaching up she felt a large bandage on her forehead, wincing as she touched it. Immediately she looked around for her timer, her eyes widening as she spotted it sitting open on a nearby desk.

What terrified her the most, however, was the figure hunched over it, playing with the parts within. He looked over to her, his own eyes widening as he found her awake. Her blood frosted in her veins as he looked at her. How did they find her? what was he doing to her timer now?

She didn't have anything to defend herself, not against four of them. The rest of his group didn't seem to be present, but they could show up at any moment. Swallowing hard she put on a brave face, not wanting him to see her terror. Clearing her throat she spoke, fighting to keep the shakiness from her voice.

"What are you doing to it now?"


	4. Chapter 4

The deeper he dug the worse this timer looked. Using the fine tools and spare parts the professor picked up for him an hour ago, he proceeded to repair or replace the inner components as needed. They planned to offer this Logan the use of the professor's Quantum Scanner, in the off chance she was a double and lost from home, but if not Quinn at least wanted her to continue sliding safely.

Admittedly even if this was the evil Logan they met before, Quinn didn't have the heart to leave her with such a damaged timer. He could only imagine the terror she felt upon entering the wormhole, wondering if she will even survive the slide. He didn't wish death on Logan anyway, it just wasn't who he was.

Hearing movement to the side he turned, eyes widening as he saw the figure of the previously unconscious Logan now sitting up, watching him with a brief look of pure terror. She quickly tried to hide it, but he saw it all the same.

"What are you doing to it now?"

Doing to it now? He looked back to the damaged timer, the words replaying in his mind for a moment as the obvious conclusion came to him. She was scared of him, her voice shook slightly as she asked him the question. Putting down the tools he turned to her, putting his hands up in a non-threatening gesture.

"You slid into our room a few hours ago. The professor and Wade patched you up while I tried to repair the damage done to your timer. I'm not going to hurt you, did one of my doubles do this to you?" He asked gently.

It took a moment but her face shifted from one of false bravado and fear to one of confusion, then comprehension, then nervousness.

"You're not the Quinn who murdered my Max?" She asked with a hint of suspicion.

"What? Max, as in Maximillian Arturo? No!" Quinn replied, shocked at that turn of events. If this was true then she was a double, though the Logan he knew was also a liar, so it was too early to tell.

"The professor is like a father to me, I could never hurt him, not even one of his doubles" Quinn continued, seeing the tension in her shoulders relax slightly at his words.

"So you must be doubles yourselves then, granted you're not lying to me" Logan replied, still watching him with suspicion but looking far more relaxed than she did a moment ago.

"I'm not, I genuinely want to help you if I can. What happened?" Quinn asked gently.

She remained quiet for a few minutes, Quinn waiting patiently for her to decide if she wanted to talk or not. Finally, she looked over to him, deciding to believe him, for now, at least.

"I met a man named Maximillian Arturo. He was egotistical, had such a high opinion of himself, but I felt it was well deserved. He was brilliant, one of the greatest minds of our world, and if you really got to know him you could see he had a heart of gold. I fell so deeply in love with him if only he would let me in"

She sounded so genuine to Quinn. There was something about her voice that spoke volumes, she really did love her Arturo. He couldn't continue to believe someone who spoke with such passion to be the evil Logan he met before.

"I eventually got past his walls and he fell for me too. I was happy, Quinn. I was with the man I loved more than anyone or anything in the multiverse. Then god, fate, I don't know what but something decided to spit in the face of our happiness"

Her voice changed so abruptly. It was filled with venom, a deep-seated anger that twisted at her very soul. Quinn knew that feeling, it was the same bitterness he felt when he lost his father, and when he lost the professors double.

"He came down with cancer, so together we began working on a sliding system. We hoped to find a parallel universe with the medical advancements needed to save him. But the process was slow, and my systems detected a wormhole with four passengers. I foolishly ran to them, only for them to take me hostage. They tried to use my systems to get home, and when they failed your double tried to kill me, only for my Max to step in the way. He died protecting me because I was a fool"

Quinn was up in an instant, walking across the room despite the new look of terror plastered across Logan's face. She was about to move away from him but stopped as he sat across from her, taking her hands in his own.

The look he gave her didn't contain the glee, the malice, the anger she was so used to seeing. No, he looked sad. He squeezed her hands, a gesture she took as an attempt to be reassuring.

"Our Arturo's aren't that different, though for me we share more of a father-son dynamic," Quinn said, his voice kind, "after sliding for a year and a half we were separated and I mistakenly took one of his doubles. All the same, he grew to care for us and we cared for him. He died saving my life, taking a bullet meant for me"

"I'm sorry" Logan whispered, seeing moisture form in the corners of Quinn's eyes. This couldn't be the Quinn she knew, not when he so openly shared such loving emotions with her. The other Quinn would have laughed at her misery, but not him.

"Double or not, I loved him. I still love him, and I miss him. I blamed myself for his death because I got them lost in the first place. But then our professor found us and he said the things I needed to hear to make me feel better."

Logan's heart hurt for him, she knew the pain of losing someone you cherished so deeply. He may not have loved him the same way she loved her Max, but it was still love, and it still hurt.

"Don't blame yourself for what happened to him, Logan. Don't insult yourself, call yourself a fool, or think it's all your fault. If he's anything like my professor he wouldn't want that, especially if he loves you as deeply as you say he does."

“But I’m the one who ran to them. I’m the one who allowed myself to be captured and used as a hostage. He died because of me” Logan protested. To her surprise Quinn moved closer, a look of determination replacing his previous sadness.

“No Logan, he died because one of my doubles murdered him. You couldn’t have possibly known what would happen. The professor told me that at the very least, before his double died me and my friends brought him happiness. He died with a family who loves and will miss him. Your Arturo died happy, Logan. He died for a woman he loved. He died knowing his Logan would live on with him in her heart. He doesn’t blame you, he would never blame you, so stop blaming yourself”


End file.
